Turn Of Heart
by amazonAprilli
Summary: Before the Jellicle Ball, Grizabella had her family and home. What made her throw it all away?
1. Chapter 1

"We have to find Old Deuteronomy!" --Nope! Rewind!

"I have a gumbie cat in mind..." --Nope! Rewind FARTHER!

Okay... what about this...

TURN OF HEART  
chapter 1-

"I don't know, but he doesn't seem to have any good intentions. Have you seen him before?" Deuteronomy asked his mate, Bella. Her parents named her Grizabella but it didn't really fit.

The queen shook her head. and crossed her legs gracefully. She invited him to sit as well. "I haven't, but noone was hurt and we know more of him than he knows of us." She said cooly

Deuteronomy sat down, their boys were asleep and Grizabella had come home. Her attempts to make the "big screen" had torn their family apart. Bella always wanted to be a Glamour Cat that everyone would recognize... now it took every ounce of love for Deuteronomy to let her come back.

"You know, this place could still be home," She tried to say. The intimidating figure had threatened their home, their family and friends. Moriarty... the name that now struck fear into the hearts of these Jellicles.

Bella came home in debt again and the Tom came to collect what she owed... A much larger sum than the time before.

"I don't think so, Bella." Deuteronomy cupped her chin affectionately. "We need to find somewhere else. Our boys won't be safe, and neither will you. I just don't understand. If it isn't gambling, how could these debts keep happening?" He posed the thought more than a question. She wouldn't answer even if he did ask her directly.

After a long pause, she asked, "Where are the boys sleeping now? It feels since forever ago that I've tucked in Tugsey or told a story to Strapper!" She said the nicknames excitedly. "It can wait until morning though." She wanted to keep the conversation light and Deuteronomy's thoughts off of her when she was gone.

A grey and black paw went to his cheek. "I'm sorry, it's been too long." And she kissed him, revelling in the moment he returned it. Both hearty and willing to share themself with the other.

Through their lovemaking, Deuteronomy could only revel in the time they were actually together. His beloved and himself. They shared complete and utter bliss.

When she tried to get up, he playfully slapped her rump and followed behind her. She was on her way to their son's old room. When she looked inside they weren't there. "Wh..Where are they?" She asked, he had already grabbed her paw to lead her to their new room. "In our old one. Since I took over the den, and the boys have grown so much, they're in here."

Deuteronomy let Bella poke her head into the dark room. And sure enough two similar shapes lay curled up in a nest of blankets and pillows. "You wouldn't even recognize them now. Munkustrap's gotten so tall he could easily look over you. And Tugger, well you'll just have to see them in the morning. You won't believe your eyes." Deuteronomy tried to guide her towards the den again. "Let them sleep til then at least."

Bella's eyes welled up with pride. Life had gone on without her and the selfish times she spent outside of her home had been for naught. "Alright, you haven't spoken too much ill will against me? I just want them to remember me like before. I'm home for good now" She said as they crawled into their own nest to sleep.

"Come morning, the world will spin still. And they will always love you, Bella." And Deuteronomy kissed her on her forehead as they drifted into sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Turn of Heart  
chapter 2

"See son? He deserves it." A black and ginger Tom stared down at an unmoving body, "No cat should provoke a cat such as yourself." Moriarty crooned to his son. "You are better than them."

The kitten then took his turn, carefully walking towards the unmoving cat. It was safer behind his father, but now it looked alright. "He smells funny!" The kitten mewed.

"Would you like to know what would smell better, Macavity? Try this..." Moriarty leaned down, one claw unsheathed. He pulled his claw along the cat's back flesh. The smell of fresh blood tainted the air "Now it's your turn."

He encouraged Macavity to follow suit. The ginger kitten then gathered his courage and lightly scratched the cat. Turning up to his father for approval, he found none.

"A little harder son." And Macavity did. He dug his claws in as much as he could. The warm flesh parting beneath his kitten length claws. And he laughed, uncontrollably he let out his amusement. 

After Macavity let go, Moriarty picked him up. "Ouch!" the kitten's claws were still bared, pricking his father. "Not me. Just the others, anyone else that can hurt you... family won't hurt you, Macavity."

Outside the alley, there was a muffled noise, a car? a pollicle? Moriarty set down his son behind a broken mattress and went to investigate. Creeping slowly to the sidewalk, the noise became silent.

I Rumpus! They heard me! /I he thought to himself

Quickly he turned the corner to face what threatened him. His eyes must be tricking him. He blinked and his feet left the ground. Nerves told him to get down, and get down he did.

Scratching and pushing against the human that picked him up, he bolted for the mattress. The shape behind him said something, a curse most likely.

"Stay down!" Moriarty hissed at his son, and obey the kitten did. He hid very well. Actually, the kitten disappeared in front of Moriarty in that instance.

Moriarty flinched in confusion, how was this possible? As the thought ran through his head, a net had fallen over Moriarty. The net restricted any functional movement; claws getting caught, limbs twisting to free themselves and hissing and screeching as the human carried the cat to an animal control unit.

The van was white and had a few dozen cages. No more than ten were filled though. Pollicles and cats alike, they were lined up. "Wait for your mother!" Moriarty was able to screech to Macavity before the door was shut. The truck drove off and Macavity slowly reappeared.

He popped his head around the mattress and the sight verified what he had heard. His father was gone. And he wasn't too sure of where he was either. Macavity sat down next to the bleeding unconscious cat and wanted to play again. If he had to wait, he was going to have a good time!

Macavity, no more than an 4 months old, plucked and poked at the cat on the ground. His giggles began to ring in the alleyway. And they were heard by not one, but two other cats.

The large tom stopped first, trying to catch a direction of the sounds. The queen beside him also stopped, but hadn't heard the laughter. Bella and Deuteronomy followed the sounds into an alleyway. Daylight let them see the body of the cat on the ground. It was mainly brown, but stained in red. And beside it sat a kitten. A small ginger cat that looked alone and confused.

I Why else would he be laughing? /I Bella thought to herself.

She slowly approached the kitten, "Hello there." Macavity's eyes got big and he hissed at her. He held up his paws in defense. "It's okay, we're not going to hurt you." Deuteronomy said, while inspecting the dying cat on the pavement.

"Is he dead?" She whispered softly. "What do you think happened? His dad got run over or something?" She didn't like the smell of blood, nor the sight of it.

"I don't think so. It wouldn't explain the scratches all over him." Deuteronomy replied. Grizabella had been kneeling down trying to gain the kitten's trust. "And what's your name?"

Macavity snorted and retracted his paws from his face. Silence sat between them.

"My name is Bella, and this is Deuteronomy." She explained.

Macavity breathed in, trusting a bit more. He could hurt them if they tried anything awful. His father had shown him how after all! "Y, you may call me Macavity." he finally said smoothly.

Grizabella picked him up without hesitation on either parties. Macavity held onto her and looked down at body. "Take me to mother!" He commanded confidently. 

"That's no problem," Deuteronomy said. He wasn't sure how he'd explain the death of this I mother's /I mate. "Do you know which way?" He asked as they walked to the edge of the alley.

"Uh, Left!" Macavity lied, he hadn't been paying attention to their path as Moriarty and himself walked from. "Now keep going... this looks right! Right I said! Take a right!" He yelled as they looked at each other hoping he truly wasn't this spoiled.

"Macavity? which way from here?" Deuteronomy asked, Bella had been patting his back trying to settle him. Slowly the streets were getting farther apart and the land undeveloped. Soon there were no buildings at all. "Are you sure it's this way?"

Macavity looked around and glared, he had been wrong. "I want father! Now!" The day had upset him in too many ways. These incompetent slaves didn't know where they needed to go and neither did he. "Home! I want home." His tantrum slowed as he was giving up his frustration. The kitten that he was wanted to cry, but the cat that he was couldn't let him. 

"I'm hungry." He finally said after they gave him some time to settle down.

"Now that is something that we can fix!" Bella said. "And once you are content, we will keep looking for your Mom." They began to take Macavity back to their own little place, the shed behind an old Church. Nothing too special, but it was warm and the Minister's wife left them food once a week.

"It will be alright, soon Macavity." Bella soothed him, petting the top of his head as he drifted into a nap. Deuteronomy hadn't been able to take his eyes off of her. She was a wonderful mother when she wanted to be.


	3. Chapter 3

These cats were strange. Their fur, unremarkable. The only one that was bearable was Tuggah. Both Deutyraw and Monkey were WAY too nice. Just little suspicious to a Cat growing up around crime. But the Queen, she was fun to mess with!

When Grizabella turned around to get him food, Macavity attacked her tail.

This time was too much for her to handle. "Make him stop it! Deuteronomy, get in here." Bella hollered. Her musical voice meant business this time.

Once he entered the general area, she continued: "I was never the motherly type, and now I've got another kitten to look after! I can't do this. Our boys are grown… isn't there something we can do?"

Deuteronomy, aged by the stress his mate eminated, shook his furry head. "I've tried looking for his mother. No one in the area seems to be missing a kitten." Her stressed appearance brought up another memory for Deuteronomy. When she had last come home, in debt and alone.

Munkustrap and Tugger were eavesdropping around the corner. They too weren't exactly fond of the kitten. "Every time I try to groom, Maw makes me clean him instead!" Tugger grunted.

The silver tabby frowned, "I get a weird feeling every time I'm around him… like he hates us or something. And he cusses worse than Growltiger or any Pirate Cat!"

Grizabella picked up the kitten and handed Macavity to Deuteronomy. "You take him for a while, I'm going on a walk." The look in her eye worried him, a lot. It was the same look she had given him when she left a few months ago.

He called after her, "We'll find someone. I'll keep asking. Bella, don't go! Please!"

"It's just a walk, I need to clear my head." She bundled up, putting on her glamour gloves. Bella smiled and tried to reassure him. But Deuteronomy wasn't convinced.

She pretended not to notice and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll see you in about an hour." And when the door shut, Macavity started yelling and crying uncontrollably.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Where is he!?!?" Moriarty yelled, angry with his second Queen. There were three in total, hunkering down in a corner now.

"I didn't know where you had gone, and We assumed Macavity was with you." Tessacoon offered. But the answer was no good. He slapped the white and Silver Queen in fury. Grabbing her cheek, she watched him regain his composure which was never good.

After a few long moments, Moriarty breathed in silently and spoke. "One of you will find him, and bring him to me. That pound made me rethink how I treat you Queens… You have way too much freedom." An older, black Queen stood and came to his side gently. "Oh you were in the pound? That must have been awful." She continued, "Why don't you let me loosen those big muscles of yours?" She winked at him and he stepped calmly away from her.

"No, Pruscilla. You misunderstand me entirely. You all will look for my son. Or tonight you will have nothing but a den full of pain and screams." Moriarty stopped and walked to a corner of the empty shack. The kittens there welcomed him greedily. Each trying to play with his tail or begging to be picked up.

He bent down and grabbed a beautiful Scarlet Princess, one of Pruscilla's. He whispered in her ear and she started to cry histerically. Though he was their father, he would show no mercy to any of them.

Without turning, he announced "I want my son, tonight. Or little Bombalurina will be first." 


	4. Chapter 4

"He expects the world out of me, and I'm only one Jellicle! Sakhmet! Bastest! What am I to do?" Her words of fury and pain sank into sobs. Bella ran as far and fast she could away from the turmoil she knew.

She tripped and fell on her paws. One of her glamour gloves tore with an eerie -RIP!- And she slowly got up, her body tired from not resting. The theater hadn't taken her back, nor had the Feline Casino. The Casino said she still needed to pay up and some Persian had tried to capture her.

But it was nearly 2 weeks since she had returned home, for the second time. She did miss her family, but the awful kitten they had taken in kept her at bay. And so did her debt. --I need to keep them safe, safe from them all.-- Grizabella thought of her sons, Rum Tum Tugger and Munkustrap. Each kitten held a different and important place in her heart.

She came across a high fence, which brought her mind to the present. It was chain link and easy to crawl beneath. Grizabella jimmied her way to the other side and nodded at her job well done.

The smell of fresh fish caught her nostrils and she invited herself to find the source. Building after building of fish was soon discovered. "This must be the riverfront." She shrugged and picked a thawing halibut inside the second warehouse.

A sarcastic cough interrupted her peaceful meal. She licked her chops, turning to see the intruder. It was a Tom of some stature, a brown and cream tipped Tom with a message. "Thah' isn't yer fish, y'know."

"Well who's fish is it?" The Glamour Queen cleaned a paw, only half listening to him. "I don't see anyone's name on it…And there's plenty of it." She said lightly.

"That would ruin the fish," he said flatly, unamused by her jest. "And this is Moriarty's fish. He'll be likin' you eatin' his fish like that. In fact, he killed my brother within the month. I've only gots sisters left now. I still am payin' 'im back y'see."

That name, Moriarty. It was so familiar, Grizabella's mind raced. Where had she heard it before? She remembered meeting a remarkable Tom outside the theater door one night after a performance. She had joined his party for a celebration, and she lost quite a bit of money. More than she had in fact. And he must also be the one in charge of the casino…

Her jaw dropped, "Does this Moriarty come often?"

"Hasn't come by since then, but he's due… and he's usually never late."

"Y-you won't tell him will you? I can leave right now." She hopped onto the floor, heels throwing her off balance.

"I don't know, it's awful temtin' teh git in his good graices. Y'see? And I need teh keep my own neck in the clear."

She couldn't risk it, and Grizabella couldn't trust this tom in any case. Adrenalin racing in her veins, and fear pasted to her face, she quickly exited the establishment. He was the collector she had feared, and needed to keep her family from for everyone's safety. She left the rest of her meal and left the way she came… under the fence and in a hurry.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Macavity had grown quickly and was soon able to make his way about the den. Deuteronomy had gone to fetch the fresh food an older woman left out for them nearby.

"Such a sweet woman she is." The Jellicle Tom said in meows while she petted him. He loved it when she scratched behind his ears too. The food wasn't very tasty, but the company was pleasant.

He let a last "Meow," as he saw the woman go inside. After a minute or two, he stood on his haunches and carried some of the food across the yard and into the church lot they inhabited.

Munkustrap came squeeling around the door, Macavity right behind him with his fists clenched tightly. Macavity had no respect for this family, and didn't try to show any. He didn't belong with them.

Munkustrap hopped onto a car and hissed at Macavity. The -orphaned- kitten was old enough now to play with Rum Tum Tugger and Munkustrap, but it didn't change how he played.

The height of the car was still a struggle for the young Tom, but it didn't take long before he found himself next to Munkustrap. The silver tabby jumped and got the advantage, pouncing and rolling around with Macavity, keeping teeth and claw away was hard though.

"Get off of me! Dad! Make him stop hurting me…" Munk pleaded.

Deuteronomy climbed up and onto the car and waited for them to stop rolling long enough. Grabbing Macavity by the scruff of his neck, which was hard because he had grown so fast.

He then grabbed Munkustrap by the elbow and took them both off of the car roughly. "Enough of this, Macavity. Munkustrap. You both know better when play and fighting should stop.

Macavity glared quietly, there was nothing he could do. And once he was old enough he would find his father and take vengeance on these cats.

--I can barely remember him now…-- Macavity shifted in his bedding, --let alone any of his Queens…-- he finished snickering before dozing into his light sleep.

((Next time on Turn Of Heart! Skimbleshanks, Jennyanydots and Demeter! Keep it tuned cause it will be out soon…))


End file.
